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About 70 percent of the overall budget for the Department of Public Health comes from federal grants. And that federal money has seen significant reductions. From fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2013, across all programs, Public Health lost about $25 million in federal money. And that drop has continued.

Officials from the Columbus Regional Healthcare System say reductions in federal funding have led to the elimination of 47 positions. Company officials said Wednesday that employees who are impacted by the eliminations will be allowed to reapply for other positions within the company or be offered a severance package.

The Georgia Board of Education announced it wants federal authorities to take a closer look at how the Dougherty County School System manages federal funding. Officials say the district's financial management will likely be scrutinized for the next five years.

Loss of federal funds for cleaning up meth labs means they are not consistently reported. Data is used to judge success of anti-meth programs. State plans to step in with additional funding in January.